ISC 2015 New research was presented at ISC 2015, the annual International Stroke Conference, from February 11 to 13 in Nashville. The features below highlight some of the studies emerging from the conference that are relevant to emergency physicians. Differentiating Acute Stroke From Mimics The Particulars: At hospital admission, elevated blood pressure (BP) in acute stroke is common and has been linked to poor outcomes. However, little is known about the natural history of prehospital BP in suspected stroke patients. Data Breakdown: Investigators analyzed data on nearly 900 patients with emergency medical services dispatch codes for suspected stroke for a study. Average systolic BP levels were higher in acute stroke (155 mm Hg) when compared with stroke mimics (143 mm Hg), and higher in intracerebral hemorrhage (171 mm Hg) than both ischemic stroke (155 mm Hg) and transient ischemic attack (153 mm Hg). Take Home Pearl: Prehospital systolic BP appears to be higher in patients with acute stroke when compared with those who have stroke mimics and may help differentiate these patients. A Different Way to Predict Stroke Outcomes The Particulars: Elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) can help predict long-term neurologic deficits and mortality in stroke patients, but current methods for measuring ICP have limited accuracy. Optic nerve ultrasound may provide a non-invasive way to measure optic nerve sheath dimension for valuable ICP monitoring. Data Breakdown: For a study, bedside optic nerve ultrasound was performed on the day of admission and the following day among stroke patients. Significant differences in average optic nerve sheath diameter were observed between patients who died and those who did not. For every 0.1 cm...